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Olbermann Watch, "persecuting" Keith since 2004

Tuesday evening Keith opened Countdown with an free campaign advertisement for the Democrats. He ran a lengthy clip of Harry Reid's evidence-free charges about Dick Cheney, and demands that the President pledge not to pardon Scooter Libby. Then an even lengthier clip of Helen Thomas, David Gregory, and others hectoring Scott McClellan about torture. By the time KO got to White House Ethics Class Puppet Theater we were ready to puke. (Olby is getting a lot of mileage out of a story that might have been news last Friday but sure ain't today.) So The Hour of Spin kicked off with unfounded political charges, obnoxious showboating by the Washington press corps, and puppets. On OlbyPlanet these are the most important news of the day.

After the break, we meet the #4 story: same as the #5 story! Shapeshifting pundit Howard Fineman comes in to analyze (read: pound into the skulls of credulous viewers) all this Big News. Fineman, ever-adaptive, got with Keith's platform immediately. He declared that Scott McClellan was attacking the press, and called him "Nixonian". Olby offered the spin that the Republicans shouldn't ask to investigate the CIA Prison story leak--Keith is always ready to warn the GOP not to do this or that. He knows what's best for them, don't you know?

By the halfway point of the program, Olby has yet not mentioned anything about the riots in France that are spreading to other European countries. Not one single word. But he did find time to tease--twice--an upcoming segment about cheerleaders making out in a bathroom and glue on a toilet seat.

So after the break, he finally got the riots in France? No way. Instead the #3 story was excerpts from a Dateline report on sexual predators. Yes, the Dateline report that has been seen so many times on MSNBC over the past few days that the oxide is starting to shed from the video tape. Going into the break: another tease for the cheerleaders in the bathroom. In the middle of the break: the fourth promotion of the potty stories. If you get the idea that Olby's news judgment is in the toilet, then you get the idea.

Naturally the #2 story is not the riots in France. It's the much-touted potty report, though by now it's been teased so many times viewers must feel like they've already heard all they need to know. And the coveted #1 spot? The inside story (i.e. sarcastic snottiness) about Scooter Libby's novel, plus some anti-Republican "humor" from Andy Borowitz. All of this way more important than that meaningless, trivial stuff happening in Europe--which was completely ignored by Olby on MSNBC's "newshour of record". Why should Keith care about those people? They didn't make out in a bathroom.

5 Comments

The French hate the US and Bush, so Olby likes them. Never mind the jihad in Clichy Sous Bois! The French said "no blood for oil," "democracy won't work in Iraq" and declared Katrina a blatant sign of "racism." Villepin and Chirac are basically running France the way Olby would.

As for Keith's depraved interest in potty stories, one need only look into his asymmetric eyes to see the depths to which he will gladly sink.

Were you around analyzing every minute of Keith Olbermann's *first* MSNBC show? The one that was dominated by the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal?

Do you ever stop to think that perhaps the reason GOP scandals are big news on his show is because they are the dominant party now, and if the tables were turned he would be reporting on Democrat-oriented scandals?

If the country gets a Democratic President in the 2008 elections, where will you be? On to other fish you deem to be partisan, I'll wager.

Yes we remember Olby and "The Big Show". In fact we went back to some of those broadcasts to see how he handled the Clinton scandal, and have quoted those earlier shows in some of our current reports.

That was back when a Democrat was president. Back then, Keith referred to a special "persecutor", whom he compared to a Nazi. "God help us, day 131" he intoned, frustrated at having to cover the scandal story. He called it "beating a dead horse". Ultimately, of course, he quit MSNBC in protest over having to report bad news about Bill Clinton.

Yeah, Olby is just a fair impartial journalist...who decides most every day who the "worst person in a world is". And that worst person turns out to be a Republican, a conservative, or someone who works for Fox. But never a Democrat or a liberal. That isn't partisan?

The sky is up, the ground is down, and Olberman is a liberal. Of course he is and there are others who are conservatives. MSNBC has Joe Scarborough and Tucker Carlson on also, well for some they may not carry enough of President Bush's water for them to be considered conservatives.

Many of the people here seem to be one of those that will sit in a small town in Alabama and listen for hours to Sean Hannity bash Ted Kennedy and the N.Y Times. Why? I am not saying the Ted doesn't deserve to be bashed, but being an Orlando resident, I don't care about Ted. Let the people of Massachussetts worry about him. The same with Kieth, just watch Bill O'Rielly and don't worry about it.

Don't worry about Ted Kennedy? He sits on the most important committees is the United States for God's sake. He calls the Iraq war illigitimate and Bush a liar on National television, and has a NATIONAL following and influence. You have it all wrong. Who the Hell cares about ORLANDO! All Disneyworld and alligators, hicks and walking dead.

How much damage has Ted kennedy done? He is right there thwarting any attempt to curb illegal immigration, he spends as much as possible on entitlements, he LOVES big unions that kill our major cities and institutions, and he is on the God Damn Judiciary committee (he derailed Bork's nomination and helped us get Souter on the bench -- do you like the new ruling's re: eminent domain?). Are you a complete retard?

Is a murderer like Teddy going to help confirm a law-and-order justice? Think before you write Ed.